Monday 17 April 2017

Roadtrip

Easter break and traditionally that means a road trip back to Scotland, I had planned a day on the Clyde fishing on Sunday with some old mates I haven't seen in years and was looking forward to it very much, the forecast was light winds and overnight rain drying up by 10am.

On Saturday I had to visit Glasgow first thing before I headed to the river I was brought up on, the River Avon in South Lanarkshire a tributary of the Clyde.

It was a lovely day however a really cold wind was blowing which was making it difficult for everyone I was in contact with, some guys had opted to stop fishing on the Clyde it was that bad and head for the shelter of the Avon. I decided to take the easy option as I only had a few hours to go at before I had to be away so against my better judgement of fishing in the sheltered areas of the Avon Braes I headed for further up hoping to get a break from the wind.

On route to Scotland I stopped off at John Norris in Penrith and bought another carbon rod, Shock, horror I hear my cane friends saying, but I have to admit that after fishing all winter with the Shakespeare agility rod I was so impressed with it that I went and bought the Agility 2 rod in the 10ft 3# size and cant complain as a £40 DT3# floating line was thrown into the package too as an added bonus.



Saturday I arrived at my chosen spot which was gusting heavy winds but I knew a spot I was hoping might contain a fish or two, walking downstream the flowers were out and it looked really idyllic however the picture cannot show the cold wind blowing hard downstream, totally putting down any hatching flies that were trying to hatch in the bright sunshine.





I fear this churn has seen better days.


Now residing as a piece of riverside decoration filled with silt & sand.

I sat for 30 minutes at my chosen spot as rain showers blew over in the high winds, dampening everything and after seeing nothing on the surface decided to fish a couple of spider patterns back up stream on rout back to the car.  The wind was really bad and short casting was the order of the day and it paid off as about 15 minutes into the fishing I was rewarded with a fish, not a brown Trout I was looking for but a Grayling, and for anyone who fishes the Avon will know they are few & far between on the upper river so it was a nice bonus and in good condition too.






A quick snap before she was gone back to where she came from.







The view upstream in the afternoon sun.


If it hadn't been for the wind it would have been a perfect day for fishing but alas we cant have it all our own way as I was to find out on Sunday.

I met up with my partner for the day Davy at our pre arranged spot and we were hoping that the weather forecasters would be correct in that the rain would die off by 11am..........Never believe weather forecasters!

From the moment we pulled into the car park and looked at the thermometer reading 4 degrees and the rain getting heavier by the minute we knew we were onto a loosing battle from the start. We set up and headed to the river we were at least going to try and get a few hours fishing in. Davy was the first to connect with a Clyde fish, a Grayling which was slipped back straight away, I connected and then lost a fish which bemused Davy as he heard some uncharacteristic words utter from my mouth.... Another Grayling for Davy and more words uttered from my mouth. We walked upstream for a hundred yards or so only to be met with almost freezing rain and the water colouring over, the battle was over we admitted defeat and headed back to the cars, We had been on the river for just over an hour and a half. We stood chatting in the rain for a few moments before shaking hands and parting company, the road trip fishing was over, the Scottish weather had beaten me over the two days.


Davy was undefeated as is always typical when you leave and come back home, he had been out today on the Clyde and the weather played nice and allowed him some nice dry fly caught river Clyde brown trout.Well done Davy.

2 comments:

  1. George what a lovely stream, open and lots of room for a cast.
    Well done.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cheers Alan, A lovely river which I cut my teeth on many years ago.

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